Thursday

We just spent the evening with cousins near Winnipeg whom we're just getting to know, and I have been packing since we got home. Rod just got home from finishing some odds and ends at the studio and he's cooking (gotta use up the mushrooms!)

Friday

I have to apologize. Leading up to Christmas (and Valentine's), all you've heard from our business is "do this for your man". And while gorgeous pictures of you is a great gift idea, I think it's time we bring the focus back to you. You are beautiful. You have value. Whether you're in a relationship or not. Whether you're happily or unhappily single. You are beautiful and you can celebrate all you are.

There are lots of ways to do this. One way is to honour your thoughts and feelings. Give them a voice. Start by expressing them on paper. Learn how to share them in a way that respects others and respects yourself. Another way is to take care of your body. Begin by listening to its subtle and not-so-subtle cues. Often, you can find ways to rest and recharge during a busy day if you look for them. Notice what gives you energy and joy and what drains you. Then begin to act on those observations.

Even as I begin to share these ideas, I know from my own life that making changes to benefit me sounds good on paper--but actually making the changes involves a whole combination of conviction, commitment, and support. It's a process. So be gentle with yourself. Receive from others. Notice beauty. Give with gratitude. And you...will...sparkle.

Thursday

Well I just finished a meeting that I never would have thought I would have, I just finished a meeting with a guy from Friesens Printing regarding having a book made for the Just As I Am project.I really can’t figure out if I should be excited or petrified or both; I’m excited to have this as a possibility, at the same time terrified about the 10 thousand or so dollars that will be required to make it happen.

At this point I have a few options, I could rob a small bank or even a Credit Union, or I can pray for wisdom; since I don’t have a gun I guess I’ll stick with praying for wisdom as I think through whether we can sell in excess of 250 or so books.

As I’m praying if you happen to have a small bank or Credit Union and feel like making me a huge loan to help make the book project happen feel free to give me a call.If you don’t have a bank but have a personal relationship with Oprah or someone like her, again I would love to hear from you.

Speaking of a book, if you would like to write a bit about your experience we would like to have some of your stories as an option to publish or else there will just be a bunch of my ramblings in there.

Anyways, as always these are just a few things going through my head, have a great week.

Tuesday

As I was driving through the Rocky mountains last week I was struck by how much Beauty and wealth have in common and the more that I thought about it the more humbling it was.

Wealth, if you asked me if I am wealthy the first answer you would probably get after a hearty laugh is a resounding NO, you have to have money to be wealthy!!!In our society we measure wealth in terms of millions, billions or even thousands; but it always ends with dollars, not smiles, hugs, peaceful moments or even people whose lives you’ve touched.

This morning my 5 year old daughter came and cuddled with me for about 20 minutes, my almost 3 year old wanted to give me hugs and kisses and my 7 year old said “I love you daddy” before leaving for school, you can’t buy that so I am forced to ask myself am I wealthy??

I have recently been thinking a lot about the many people whohave let me into their lives to capture their essence and memories and I think to myself am I wealthy??

I think of our family; this last year my mother in law has scared us a few times by going into the hospital with severe chest pain, yet as we prayed for her she came out of the hospital with the diagnosis that it was not a heart attack and again I ask myself as a family, are we wealthy??

Beauty; they say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, are they on drugs??If you showed the same image, person, flower, or just about anything to 10 different people you would likely get 10 different answers as to its beauty.If this is the case is there really any absolute as to whether someone or something is beautiful?When I think of beauty I think of my wife Sonya, I think of my kids, I think of my clients, and I think of the creation everywhere around me, but am I right, is it all really beautiful?

My kids love to do art, and some of the paintings that my 3 year old comes up with simply bewilder me and yet to him he is proud to show me his latest masterpiece.Is his art beautiful?

I used to think that beauty was in the eye of the beholder but I have come to realize that too many of us as beholders are simply too screwed up to see, recognize and appreciate the beauty around us.My new philosophy is this, Beauty is in the eye of the creator and our creator has blessed us all with an abundance of it.Beauty is all around us and we simply need to open our eyes to appreciate it, so too we are all blessed with an abundance of wealth and our wealth looks different to all of us, but it’s ours to appreciate all we have to do is to open up our eyes and recognise what we have been blessed with.

Beauty and wealth, they look different to all of us and yet all we need to do is look around us to recognize how much of it we are blessed with so the next time you look into a mirror open your eyes and look hard to see how beautiful you are and how much you bless the lives around you and you will realize just how beautiful and wealthy you really are.

Friday

With all the fear of H1N1 as well as fears concerning vaccinations, I thought I would let our readers know of one more option out there. For some, it may seem too "out there", but it is a very valid option nonetheless.

When my son was diagnosed with gluten sensitivity last year, I searched and searched for options for him. I finally discovered something called "Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique" (NAET). It involves three steps: muscle response testing (MRT) for allergies, stimulating accupressure points while the allergen is held (a glass vial with the the energy field of the substance or the actual substance), and an avoidance period of about 24 hours until the brain has reprogrammed the entire body to accept the substance.

The technique, however, is not eliminated to allergy elimination. It can be used to test a person's immunity to a virus/bacteria, introduce the body to it (still in a vial), strengthen the body's response through accupressure, and thus give the body the immunity it needs to fight it when it comes in contact with the actual virus or bacteria in the environment. And there are no needles, no worrisome preservatives, and no live/radiated viruses actually put into the body.

Some people will still have a mild reaction (tiredness, aches etc.). They should come back in a day and check to see how the body is doing. Sometimes a second treatment is needed. But usually that is all. Babies, children, adults, all can have it done.

Two of my kids have been treated. I was too weak today (exceptional loss of sleep lately), but will be having it done next week hopefully. Normally, people are treated for basic allergens before moving on to something like this, but my practitioner is making exceptions given the situation. Some people (especially older ones) will find they have a strong immune response to the virus and will not need to do anything.

There are a number of people practicing NAET in Winnipeg, and most of the larger provinces (unfortunately not in my home province of Saskatchewan). You can go to www.naet.com to find a practitioner (not a complete listing). Village Chiropractic Centre on River Ave. is where I go. Dr. Maria di Bernardo is very skilled and personable. The cost there is $80 for the initial intake and first treatment (book is included) and $50 afterward. If you have extra health insurance, a portion of that may be covered.

I have been posting a lot on H1N1. I hope it has been helpful rather than tiresome. At Eve Studios, we want to be involved in the whole life of a woman. And so, I try to address things that come up in our lives. It will, however, be my last post on the subject!

Wednesday

I love thanksgiving, it’s one time of the year where we are really encouraged to be very thankful and to intentionally stop, look at life and be grateful.This year I have many things to be very grateful for; I have my wife Sonya without whom I don’t know what I would do, I have my three wonderful children who make me smile so often, we have my family and my in-laws all of whom are wonderful people that I am thankful for and God has blessed us with health and strength.

When I think of thanksgiving I’m also overcome with a sense of extreme gratitude for our clients without whom we wouldn’t have our business and without whom we would not be the people we are today.I feel so thankful for each one of you, you make me smile whenever I think of you, it’s an honour to know you as people and to have you as clients and I think the ultimate honour for us is when you refer us to your friends because then we know that we have been able to impact your lives in some way.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

This week I have a special thank you to send out, in the past few weeks I have had the honour of sharing in and capturing forever in print the nuptials of my cousins daughter, capturing the maternity and newborn images of both clients and close friends, creating family heirlooms in some family portrait sessions and of course our specialty capturing the beauty and mystery that is “woman”.This week I also had the opportunity to spend the best part of the day with a group of women that work together, the 4 of them decided to come in to do an Eve Session as a Christmas gift to the men in their lives who had everything, well almost everything.These men will soon find out they didn’t have what they wanted most, some amazing images of the women they love.Girls, thank you for an amazing time, I had so much fun with you as we laughed, texed back and forth to co-workers, talked about them, ate great food, drank good drinks (Pepsi for we, wine coolers for the girls) and created amazing images in one of the most fun sessions I’ve ever had here at the studio.

I’m trying to teach my kids to have an “Attitude of Gratitude” and instead of grumping about things to simply be thankful and as I try to live that out I find myself a happier and more fulfilled person; so thank you all for everything you do to make my life better, I really appreciate you more than you will ever know.

Tuesday

Thanks to one of our "Just As I Am" participants for passing this along. A more qualified person is now sharing some suggestions.

The following advice, given by Dr. Oz, makes a lot of sense and is important for all to know:

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat or bathe.)

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine or Hydrogen Peroxide if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water, or hydrogen peroxide. *Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but *blowing the nose softly once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*

5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

Thursday

I’ve been hooked on a TV. show lately called Glee.Glee is a show about a musical group in a high school made up of some “cool kids” and some “looser kids”, it’s a place where in that group status really doesn’t matter until you walk out the door.This week it was revealed to the school that Quinn the head cheerleader was pregnant and she and her quarterback boyfriend Finn immediately went from cool to uncool.

Finn & Quinn tried everything they could think of to try to get cool again but all to no avail.I sat there thinking about how we all really just want to be cool or at least acceptable to those around us; I know that in high school I didn’t usually feel like I was in the “in” crowd.

Life is so much bigger than what people think of us, let’s all go out there and live life to the fullest; hug your kids, smell the fresh air and enjoy the many blessings that we have.

Saturday

I know the government is really trying to help control the spread of the H1N1 virus and each of the basic things they say are really important; but don't you get a little tired of being told to cough into your elbow and wash your hands with soap?! There are so many other things you can do to help your body's immune system handle what comes its way. We are not completely at the mercy of germs like we would be conditioned to believe.

Here is my own list...(just keep in mind I am not a medical practioner of any kind)

Eat more whole foods...reach for fruits and vegetables instead of packaged food

Take time to prepare and enjoy your food. Consider ordering from somewhere like Food for Thought if time is a challenge (for the month of October, all web orders get you entered in a draw for $100 of frozen food)

Use simple things like straight lemon juice for a sore throat, a teaspoon of honey for a cough, a hot lemon and honey drink with a sprinkle of cayenne for stuffiness and sore throat, garlic (you can even tuck a clove in your sock and benefit)

Find some nourishing comfort foods like soup. Here are two you might like to try: garlic soup (it was actually creamy and delicious), and chicken noodle (from the old country)

Go to a health food store like Aviva (my favorite...one on Adelaide near Notre Dame and one on Meadowood and online store as well) I picked up oil of oregano recently, which has a very spicy/burning sensation under the tongue, but very effective to nip colds in the bud. You can also rub it on your feet (better for kids). Of course, Vitamin C and zinc are great to have on hand.

Take a couple minutes and wipe the high-use objects in your home with a damp micro-fibre cloth (lightswitches, doorknobs, phones etc.)

Get lots of hugs. Our bodies and souls thrive on human touch. Hugs are probably the least contagious form of touch and the nicest! (Rodney is a good one for hugs...find people that are embracing or initiate it yourself!)

Laugh! Pick a word for the week as your secret laugh word...whenever you hear it, it's your cue to laugh! My daughter and I had a great time with this. Pick up a laughter CD from Spa Drole or find a laughter yoga class (there's one that meets at Source Yoga on Osborne Mondays from 12:15-12:45. See here for details) Laughter boosts our body's natural ability to fend off illness.

Find ways to relax deeply. Yoga (I love Moksha Yoga), or a spa experience (Tiber River and Rituals offer a mini-spa experience). I've heard good things from the Inn at the Forks' spa as well as the Fort Garry Hotel's spa)

Journal. Get a book...any kind of book...or take a little time and find one that you find beautiful and inspiring. But just do it. Try stream-of-consciousness writing: three pages of whatever comes to mind. Make a gratitude journal. Start a page with "What do I need?" Doing this writing gets us in touch with what we're thinking and helps us see both positive things we can focus on as well as actions we need to take in our lives. Very key for maintaining health.

Talk to yourself! Tell yourself you will provide your body with what it needs in order for it to stay strong and healthy. Sing a phrase of health over yourself. Your body is not just a bunch of cells that are isolated from your emotions and your spirit. Words are powerful.

Wednesday

I'm not quite through reading it yet, but I have to say that "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom" by Christiane Northrup, M.D., is a book that every woman should read. I was fortunate to pick up my tattered copy at my library branch in the used book section. I don't even know if it's a popular book currently or not. But it should be.

This book is thorough (it's fatter than a Bible). I've found it helpful on so many levels. It goes through a lot of medical stuff relating to the female reproductive system. That is useful. It talks about the experience of pregnancy, labour/delivery, and motherhood, of miscarriage and infertility, of abortion, and of sexual abuse...all with women's stories. It talks about the many kinds of cancers and other diseases unique to women. Tons of information.

What I especially liked in this book though, was the unique perspective Northrup has as a medical doctor with all the traditional knowledge and experience, but who also has a very wholistic perspective: treating the whole woman because she recognizes that mind, body, spirit, emotions are all inter-related. She gives story after story of women who have experienced healing of cysts, fibroids, bleeding etc. after they have listened to their bodies, processed their emotions from past pain/trauma, begun to make changes in their lives and relationships, turned to a higher power, and/or begun to gather the support that they need around them. I was astounded.

Another favorite thing I took away from this book was greater understanding about the energy systems of the body. Our bodies have a number of different energy pathways (chakras) that are related to different areas/organs in our bodies. They ways we process our emotions, approach life, feed our bodies and so on can block these energy pathways so that different areas are more susceptible to illness. She has a chart that shows the correlation between different chakras, the mental/emotional issues, and examples of related illnesses. Discovering this information is actually helping give me direction for my life in order to help bring healing to my thyroid.

The third section I particularly enjoyed was all about a woman's menstrual cycle and the significance of the ebb and flow of energy, creativity, and wisdom. I think we've all been ripped off when it comes to learning about this in grade four. There is so much more to this than tampons, pads, making babies, and birth control. A woman's uterus is much more than a place where an egg can grow if fertilized. It is her space for creativity. It is her "low heart". And our fine balance of hormones which regulates our cycle allows us to be intuitive and reflective at times, more open to receiving others at other times, and more energetic at others. But we need to learn to listen to our bodies rather than pushing ourselves to the limit.

The other book I'd recommend (from a different perspective), is "Captivating" by John and Stasi Eldredge. It is actually the major inspiration for Eve Studios. But I've done enough writing for tonight.

Just a reminder that FemFest 2009 is coming up soon, starting September 25th. FemFest is theatre and workshops "by women for everyone" put on by Sarasvati Productions. The theme this year is "Herstory". One of the shows I am interested in is "Pitch Blond": the story of Judy Holliday, the 170-IQ genius who specialized in playing dumb blondes. Tickets are $10 for a single show. We'll be giving away some tickets for FemFest, as well as some gift certificates at FemFest. More details to come...

Friday

A few weeks ago we were in Saskatchewan to spend some time with family; I like to take these opportunities to capture beauty of another sort, so I try to never be without my camera. Here is some of what we saw. Have a great long weekend.

Monday

So long no blog. I’m sorry about the wait, life has been crazy and I need a vacation that will not come for a long time, I did however take the time to gather evidence that summer did drive by us here in the peg as I went to the beach yesterday with my family and enjoyed an amazing sunburn (I’m very, very thankful that we didn’t go to a nude beach, that would have really hurt!!!)

One of the things I want to learn this year is how to be a more thankful person, it seams that I all too seldom take the time to be grateful for what I am blessed with, and as I have been thinking about this I have been overcome by a sense of wonder at how we have been blessed with such good clients. If you are one of our clients, I want you to know that you are really really appreciated; and in case we haven’t expressed it to you lately, thank you for allowing us to be a part of your lived, it’s an honour we don’t take lightly.

Since we have another few weeks of summer left, here’s a look at a recent session with a long time friend and client, if you are interested in an outdoor session just let me know and we can arrange something that you will love.

Thursday

I was just going through my file of testimonials while updating the look of our gift certificates, and I thought I would share a couple. Reading these just makes me so proud of my husband and what we do as a studio.

"I had an amazing experience with Eve Studios! Something I will never forget! I was getting married last July and decided it would be a neat wedding gift to have some photos taken for my husband, but it turned out to be so much more than that! Rodney made me feel so good about myself and who I am. From the instant I walked into Eve Studios I felt comfortable, respected and excited! While my husband and I picked a great picture to hang on our wall, the experience left me feeling confident, strong and empowered. I would recommend it to anyone, regardless of shape or size; a photo shoot with Rodney is an amazing way to appreciate yourself for who you are, inside and out!" - C.L.

"I enjoyed every minute of our session together and could have stayed all day. Everything about your studio and your professionalism was very comforting which brought out my inner beauty. My boyfriend and my very close friends have always told me that I was beautiful and sexy, but to be honest I never truly believed them. Through your pictures I now see what they see and am more confident. Thank you, thank you. I wish every woman could share the experience." - T.S.

"Following the session, I was feeling a noticeable sparkle, and my yoga practice that night felt better than it has in a long time. Instead of feeling stiff and closed-in, I felt free and expressive. The session has helped to rejuvenate my practice, and I am so grateful for that. Now I want to do another session all over again! ☺ As you said, I think it's quite addicting.

I think every woman should experience a session, as it really can be quite therapeutic in so many ways." - T.M.

Thank you to each of our clients for sharing their stories. I hope they can inspire you, too!

Monday

Rodney just sent me this image of our lobby after he put up this gorgeous 30 x 48" print to update our look. He is loving the classic feel it gives our lobby. What do you think?

In other news, we will be away for a portion of this month visiting family and doing our "Saskatchewan Family Portrait Tour"...allowing rural families near my home town the opportunity to do family portrait sessions in the beauty of where they live. If you are interested in a similar kind of session for your family, feel free to give Rodney a call. August to October will be fabulous times to photograph family outdoors. Rodney also just completed an incredibly beautiful session at Patricia Beach at sunset for one of our Eve clients. I hope he'll be able to post an image or two soon.

We have just started advertising with Winnipeg Women, a local magazine that we love. We have a couple of extra copies in the studio if you want to stop by and pick one up.

Hope you are having an excellent summer: soaking up the sun, getting active, getting into nature, being rejuvenated...even if it's just in your backyard. When we get back, we're planning lots of BBQ's with friends! (which reminds me...there's this great little shop on Academy Rd. called the Garden Room...you've gotta go there!)

Thursday

I have experienced some amazing service in the last two weeks or so from a couple of businesses. I thought I'd share them with you here, as they all could be very helpful busy women.

GemStar Insurance - Rodney just did some work for them, and so naturally, when our Autopac premium installment was due, he paid it there and dropped of the CD at the same time. Here's what I love about Ken Bull and his team at GemStar. First, he went out of his way to pay us on the spot for our work, even though the person who normally prints out the cheques was gone that day. Then, after we paid our Autopac, he asked us when he could quote on our home insurance. Well, it so happened that we were trying with little luck to shop it around as it was renewing the next day. He got us a quote and saved us $110 while giving us more coverage than we had before. But what is really amazing is that he was willing to do an installment plan for us on our terms and with no administration fee. AND, he was willing to pick up a payment when he was out and about if we needed that, since he couldn't provide online banking through his business. Now, I realize he knows us and trusts us and could offer that kind of service because we have a relationship...but this is the heartbeat of his business. A while back, he saved us because we had forgotten to renew our Autopac and he phoned it in for us while at a business meeting. They do renewals by fax and delivery if you want. They're located at 3034 Portage Ave. (but that's nearly irrelevant) and you can reach them at 889-1880.

Bye Insurance - We have had our life insurance with them for quite awhile now. Recently, we received a call from them to see if we wanted to review our coverage. Well, we had been thinking of increasing coverage, and when we found out that they can do RESP's, we were psyched. We'd been procrastinating on that for too many years. (We had the kids' SIN numbers, but just hadn't finished the job). It turns out that the broker Rodney had seen before had a son who was just starting the business. Bryan, is a soft-spoken 22-year-old who just got married last year. He is great with kids (he read my daughter a book while I filled out paperwork) and is still able to be very flexible with appointments, coming out to our home either in the morning before Rodney went to work, or after the kids were in bed. He's a patient, no-pressure kind of guy. We both ended up increasing our coverage, and now we finally have an RESP in place as well. Good stuff! Bye Insurance is on Provencher and you can call 943-6367.

The Green Cleaning Ladies - this is a brand new business comprised of a mother and daughter who want to use environmentally responsible products. I just had them clean my house and will be keeping them on weekly. It was a big decision to hire someone to clean for me, so I'm very happy to have found this new company. I love their friendliness and warmth. And they're experienced cleaners, too! I'm looking forward to this energy injection every week! Check out their ad and maybe you can enjoy a little peace and beauty, too...(but make sure you tell them who sent you, so I can get a free hour of cleaning, ok?) The number to call is 334-8176.

I know these descriptions were a bit lengthy (sorry), but I know in these busy times, it is SO helpful to use referrals instead of having to do your own research. Let me know your experience with these businesses if you use them.

Saturday

It’s been a crazy week and I know about half of you are waiting for me to respond to emails…..it’s coming. First things first, I want to wish a happy 13th anniversary to my beautiful bride Sonya. Wew wew!! Thant’s right folks, Sonya and I spent Monday celebrating 13 years of wedded bliss and I still can’t figure out why she loves me.

It’s hot outside and summer is here so why are you reading my writing; grab someone you love and go outside and enjoy the young mosquito population-I’ll write again soon.

Friday

My beans are growing. My kids are growing. Our business is growing. I am growing. It is exciting to see things develop.

It seems like when we had that prolonged cool weather, that our lives were reflecting that. I felt dormant. Yes, we were getting a lot of landscaping preparation done. That was a blessing to do minus the heat and mosquitoes. We did the major push for our "Just As I Am" project, which we're actually still accepting people for this week-end, and it was nice to have a quiet period in our business in order to focus on that. But my optimism, my physical energy, and my purpose were all very weak.

Now, it feels like we've regrouped our energies, and we're ready to branch out again. Stretching, expanding, reaching out, going deeper...and we anticipate a surge of growth that will bring our business to the next level. I believe this will happen as we do some inner work, find ways to feed our souls, and as we gather with supportive people.

These last two weeks have been interesting. I've been looking at energy in a number of different ways: learning about the fascinating way the body functions, taking more seriously how different things drain my energy, and looking for ways to boost my energy. One step I'm taking is using money to hire people to do things for me that aren't getting done easily and are dragging me down. It's a scary step, as I need to believe that more money will come when I do this to compensate (even abundantly more). But I am now willing to take the step and see it where it leads me. That, for me, is growth.

How are you growing?

(If anyone has a cleaning person or a bookkeeper they want to recommend, I'd love to hear it).

Wednesday

I’m tired and it seems there aren’t enough hours in the day. On the bright side the sun has come out a few times in the last two days and it has been a real mood booster to say the least to see that beautiful piece of fiery goodness.

This weekend we had a family outing on Saturday, we went to the circus together and then worked on some landscaping as a family. The circus, what a feeling of electricity I felt from our kids as we walked into the big tent in the Grant Park mall parking lot. We bought “Circus” Cotton Candy, and “Circus” Popcorn , a “Circus” Balloon and a “Circus” hotdog and mini doughnuts. What was so special about the “Circus” Food, to us it was simply really really expensive but to our children it was magical. It seems I have something on my forehead that says “Pick me” because in the whole tent full of people the clown picked me to come up on stage, be an idiot and ultimately get shot backstage (My kids were more than a little concerned about that) before ultimately emerging from behind the curtain to new life and a new lease on life.

Speaking of that I have had a number of people ask me about my faith, views on faith and all the rest of that mumbo jumbo so I will take a moment to let you into the deepest part of my being and share with you where I am at.

Firstly, I’m not a terribly religious person in that I define religion as a list of rules to follow to appease the gods or God. I do however have a deep faith and here it is:

I believe that God loves me (and you) and has a plan for my (and your) life.I believe that I (and you) have missed the mark that God has set out for us, and are therefore sinful and separated from God.I believe that God sent his very own son Jesus die on the cross 2000 years ago to bridge the separation between us and God.I believe that God gives us the opportunity to either accept or reject the gift of his son and thereby accept or reject the opportunity of having a relationship with him (although God is not a boy or a girl, history has generally given God the Masculine words like he, him, his) should we choose.

To put it another way, Dad just wrote us a check for a million but the money isn’t actually ours until we decide to deposit the check or cash it.

As a Christian I don’t somehow feel as though I’m any better than anyone else because I’m not, I have simply chosen to ask for forgiveness for my many imperfections. I have also been asked how as a Christian I can do the type of work I do at Eve Studios or the types of projects I do such as Just As I Am. The answer is a simple one, when I look at the universe around us and the world in which we dwell I see such incredible beauty everywhere I look and I feel as though God is the ultimate artist. I also look at the body that God created and marvel at the beauty and complexity of it and quite frankly feel as though it is the ultimate slap in the face to God to not appreciate and capture the beauty of the human body and spirit.

I know this is sort of the readers digest version that I’ve just given you but when it comes right down to it faith is not nearly as complex as many make it, God’s biggest command is “to love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your mind and all your strength; and to love your neighbour as yourself." I feel as though if we all lived even a little bit like this the world would be a much better place.

I hope this answers some questions, if not, call me up and set up a time to bring me a beloved Pepsi and we can sit down and discuss anything that’s on your mind.

No I’m not dead or if I am heaven is a lot different then I imagined it to be. I’m so sorry about the time between blogs; I’ve been in Saskatchewan for a week and then trying to dig out of the aftermath of a week away from home and studio.

Firstly I must say to Jan and Sarah, congratulations on your newfound fame, I hear you were simply superb in your interview on CBC Radio. CBC wanted to do a story on the whole Just As I Am project but apparently I wasn’t handsome enough to be part of it; odd isn’t it since it was a radio interview. No offence taken though and Jan and Sarah were interviewed from the perspective of someone wanting to be a part of this project as a model. Unfortunately I missed it but we are hoping to get an MP3 that you can all link to.

I also want to send out a huge congratulations to Leila Marston, She was the feature actress this last weekend in a play that Sonya and I had the pleasure of taking in at the Ellice café and theatre. Leila was playing the role of a mermaid who was searching for an eternal soul, you were amazing Leila!!

Well as I mentioned I spent a week in Regina for a convention and have come back very inspired, I have so many things that I have learned that I want to try. Anyway, landscaping at the house is calling me and when it uses Sonya to call it’s best to listen and obey, I’ll talk to you all soon.

I'm guessing many of you are looking at my title and laughing in disbelief. It's been a cold month. We've been working on our yard a bit though, dreaming of flowers and vegetables, and looking forward to inviting friends over for BBQ's. And enjoying the absence of mosquitoes. Our eldest son keeps both of us fairly busy playing soccer as well.

But more than for enjoying our backyards, the time is coming for sessions to move outdoors. It may not be beach weather yet, but already there are places you can use for location sessions. The exchange district is the first to come to mind, but there are lots of options. Things will really be greening up and eventually the water will be warm enough for the beach.

Urban on-location shooting can be a lot of fun--you can focus on fashion, get funky, or feel like a movie star on set. More natural on-location shooting (parks, beaches, backyards, cottages) can personalize a shoot (if you do it somewhere that is meaningful to you), give a down-to-earth feel, and make use of that "sweet light" if you time it well.

Location shoots are $300. We're still doing studio work, but if you want to create something new and different in the next couple of months, give Rodney a call at 221-8413 and do a little dreaming. He'd love to hear from you.

Add-on as of June 5th:We are having a special promotion for the month of June. All location shoots are 50% off...a savings of $150 (yes, the math is obvious, sorry).

Rodney is itching to get out and use all the ideas and techniques he's picked up since convention, so give him a call today at 221-8413! Or send him an email.

(Even if you have just the seed of an idea you'd like to try this summer, don't hesitate to contact him right away. You don't have to have it all figured out first.)

Monday

Well it seems to me that the job of artists in society tends to be to shed light on issues that we face on a daily basis; and given the description that I just gave I would propose to you that Jerry and the cast of Seinfeld were in fact the artists of the century for the 20th century. I draw a lot of inspiration from the light-hearted jokesters in that they seemed to fearlessly bring into the open things that we all thought and were afraid to say while making us laugh about it. As I develop as an artist I have found that it is in fact very difficult to do what Jerry did, it is hard when you feel the judgment of those around you to stand up and do what it is that you think is right or to say what needs to be said.

Just over two years ago I received a phone call from a friend, one of the best and most influential friends I will ever have. Tim is an art teacher in a Christian school in BC and on this particular week he had taken his grade 10-12 art students on a trip to the local art gallery as he was prone to do a couple of times a year. Tim described the experience as they went through the upper floor of the gallery and saw some wonderfully inspiring “Christian” art, that is beautiful water colors and landscapes but then to his horror as they went down into the lower gallery they were hit straight on by a cartoon character in full frontal nudity doing something very derogatory. Tim decided it was too late to turn back and proceeded through the gallery with his students electing to spend some time with them afterwards discussing what they had seen and their thoughts on it.

“Why was there nobody who looked like me in there” was one girl’s response, “They were all perfect bodies.”“Why are there no Christians doing nudes in art” asked another girl.“I didn’t feel uplifted in any way from what I saw” stated another.

Art has the power to change our lives, as long as we as artists come at it not as “how can I shock the viewer” but rather “how can I open up my soul or the soul of my subject in such a way as to touch the soul of the viewer.” I have never had the pleasure of going to Europe, but those that I have talked to who have seen the David or the paintings within The Sistine Chapel both of which were created by Michelangelo say that seeing these works literally takes your breathe away. What is it about beauty and the body that is so inspiring??

David the Israelite king whose appearance Michelangelo was trying to capture said in Psalm 139 “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,” I don’t know about most people, but growing up I didn’t feel wonderfully made; I was a skinny awkward kid who never felt comfortable in my own skin. The terms “Bone rack” and “beanpole” will probably haunt me all of my life, and now as an adult I feel as though most of the time I am a beanpole with a big lump in the middle where my thundering abs should be, my chest too small an undefined, shoulders too droopy and arms too spindly; again I feel more fearfully than wonderfully made.

For the past two years I have been thinking about the project of photographing art nudes of anyone who would come in to stand in front of my camera and be photographed “Just as they are” but as is often the case I have spent the last two years in fear of how a project like this would be viewed and so put off doing it. This past year has been a great and hard year for me as Sonya and I have been working on Eve Studios a studio which focuses on building self esteem in women through photography. I have been deeply hurt by the stories I have heard from some clients as they struggle through the question of “Am I beautiful”, and hearing the stories of hurt and pain that many of our clients have held on to for years and decades for some. On the flip side I have had a number of clients who have come in fully confident that they are beautiful and very comfortable with their appearance, and in these cases I have felt immense joy. I have seen incredible beauty in clients of all ages and shapes and can honestly say that they are Fearfully, Wonderfully and Beautifully made.

Just As I Am is a project where anyone from 18 – 118 can come and have 10 mins of photography time to bare their souls as well as their bodies and come to the place of saying this is me, Just As I Am. I ask only a few things of those who wish to be involved, Please bring ID that proves your age, please either write a sentence or two or come with a phrase or two that you feel describes who you are. I welcome men or women to come alone, but also encourage them co come as a couple if they want, or to come as a group; but if you want to be a part of touching the lives of others and in fact be touched with the beauty of who you are please sign up for a timeslot and be part of the healing process.

I was just at the Women Business Owner's "Tulips & Tea" Fashion Show and Fundraiser for Osborne House. I had the privilege of sitting with some wonderfully diverse women who all seemed to have a zest for life! I really enjoyed myself once the event got going.

I was deeply touched by the young woman who shared her story of how she finally escaped an oppressive relationship and has found a new life "One Year Later". I loved the passion of the Tina Turner impressionist, who also shared the message she gave troubled girls at Marymound...in a nutshell, "You have value and others better treat you good". I found the fashion show to be a refreshing look at what's out there in Winnipeg. My favorite line of clothing was from Glyfada Dress Design. I have never seen anything like it. Loved some of the other stores on Academy: 9 Boutique, Sue's, and Emile et Etiene. If you're coming to our blog after being at the show, what were your favorite parts of the event?

The other spring thing going on, coming up next week (from the 27th to the 2nd), is an exciting and important art project Rodney and I are undertaking. It's called "Just As I Am" and is going to showcase the beauty of the human body, create awareness of what "normal" bodies look like, and give people the experience of being vulnerable and naked before a camera and how that perhaps changes them in some way. For more information and to sign-up, please visit www.JustAsIAm.ca And if it resonates with you, please...tell others. We want as much diversity in age, cultural background, shape and size that we can possibly get. Come with a group or a friend or spouse and make it more fun!

Wednesday

It's that time again, twice a year I redo the studio floors which amounts to sanding down the floors by hand, adding wood filler to the floors to get the bumps out (again by hand) and then sanding them again. Unfortunately by this time I'm not done yet, I still have the painting, scuffing and painting to go.

Well, I'm half way done or so and I have found out something that is probably very important, I now know beyond the Shadow of a doubt that I'm not a Catholic. What an interesting time to find that out you say, and however did you come to that conclusion, well very simply put last night and this morning I was acutely aware of the fact that I seemed to have scooted right past purgatory and slipped into the raging fire; that is every part of me wasbegging for mercy and wishing for a chance to buy or pray myself out of this hell that was in my muscles.

Well, gotta go, this was all the break time i could afford to take, until next time, bon voyage!!

I had the privilege of speaking to a small group of women business owners and estheticians last Wednesday about our studio (which is probably why I missed blogging last week!) I wanted to share with them what an Eve Session is, what some of the benefits of a session are, and why they should consider doing an Eve Session. As I spoke, I could tell that what I was saying was going deep in many of them, and it was a real affirmation of what we do and of our need to spread the word of what we do.

So, I thought I'd include some of what I said there on our blog. Ideally, I would like to video this presentation live and put it on YouTube, but for now, I'll settle for the written version.

I. What is an Eve Session?

The purpose of every Eve Session is to celebrate the true beauty of a woman and build her self-esteem.

We do that by spending two hours of time focusing on capturing who she is in a wholistic manner...not just her sexuality (as in the glamour/boudoir days) or even just her outward appearance, but her personality, her passions, her "presence". Sometimes, this may involve artistic nudes...it all depends on her purpose for the shoot and her comfort with that kind of vulnerability.

The photographer, my husband Rodney (who was named Manitoba's photographer of the year in 2008) is not only excellent in what he does, but his creativity, sensitivity, and professionalism, make the experience every bit as memorable as the actual images themselves.

II. What are the benefits of an Eve Session?

The benefits are many and varied from person to person. One of the primary benefits I see is the ability of a session like this to answer a woman's most basic question, "Am I beautiful?" You see this question emerge from very early as a little girl twirl in her dress for all to see, just waiting for someone to notice her loveliness. And that question never goes away, although experiences in life may serve to push it down or answer it in a way that wounds us.

Another benefit I've noticed is how a session uncovers a woman's true beauty...her true self. We all carry around images of ourselves that don't necessarily reflect accurately who we are. These are formed from impressions from our youth when we went through awkward years of bad perms, ugly glasses, acne and insecurity...all captured for us in the school photo (which is an injustice in itself).

Other ways we gather false pictures of ourselves is (ironically) from the mirror. We may think this a true picture...how can it lie? But the mirror shows us our flaws close-up and out of context...all we see of our face is this and that zit, these large pores, that stray eye-brow, those dark circles (do you get what I mean?) And the full-length mirror might give a fuller picture, but it's all in bad overhead lighting while we're just standing there trying to decide if we look okay.

And then, of course, we form way too many opinions of ourselves from the judgments of others. If we're fortunate, we have a lot of affirming people in our lives, but we all know it's the negative judgments that tend to stick.

But what we don't have firmly in our minds, is the way we look when we are truly shining: we don't get to see the way we look when we are loving on our kids, serving a customer with genuine concern and friendliness, caught up in the moment during a beautiful sunset, laughing out loud, presenting confidently and intelligently in the boardroom or classroom, being immersed in something we love doing...those moments when we are truly alive and truly ourselves.

And that's what an Eve Session can offer...to capture us in those moments when we are truly alive and truly ourselves...in a way we can hold on to and cherish for the days and years to come. And that can be life-changing!

III. Why should I do an Eve Session?

I always like to make it a little personal near the end. Because I can't actually answer that question for anyone, what I like to do is ask more questions. We all have to do our own thinking and choosing. Sometimes we just need a little guidance. So, here are three more questions to as yourself:

1. What do I need?- more confidence?- feel better about my body?- feel comfortable in my own skin?- feel sexy (again)?- be good to myself?- recover from emotional trauma? (this has been a big step in healing for some people)

2. What's holding me back?- feel too fat (this is a big one)- scared (of being vulnerable, of pictures not turning out, of the unknown)- too busy- my ____________ (fill in the blank): stretch marks, cellulite, sags/breasts, butt, belly (we all have perceived flaws...one thing Rodney will ask at a consultation is: what do you want to show off/what do you want to hide?)

3. What is the next step?- call Rodney at 221-8413 or send in an email enquiry from our website to set up a consultation (which is basically a chance to see our studio, meet Rodney, and talk about possibilities for your session...but there is no obligation to book at any time)- book a session time (this can be for the following day (if you're lucky), the following week, or several months away- do your session and feel amazing!- book your show time, where you get to see your images and pick the ones you want for your album or wall

You've probably been waiting for us to update this blog. We're all waiting for spring to arrive (or stay). If you've been driving in this weather, you've probably done your share of waiting in traffic. And if you're like several in our family, you're waiting for a persistent cough to clear up.

Waiting. Most of us aren't that crazy about waiting. Or good at it. My kids are notoriously impatient. I think they come by it honestly. Where am I going with this? I'm not even sure. That's what I like about the creative process. You never know where it might lead. It's like a great novel or an exciting adventure.

My friend is doing a lot of waiting these days. She broke her ankle in three places. Now she waits for it to heal. And waits for others to do things for her, when normally she is the one making things happen (and a lot of things happen at once, I might add).

I have experienced the waiting that comes with pregnancy three times. With the first came lots of reflection and anticipation...and a little trepidation. The second and third went by much faster, with less time to savour the experience.

With our business, we've done a lot of waiting...waiting for the breakthrough...where everything we've done starts to come together in synergy and our business takes off. Well, I think the waiting is over. It feels a little surreal at times, to see our dream becoming a reality, but I think it's slowly sinking in. It's been a long time coming.

I think the waiting has enlarged us (like being pregnant). I think it has expanded our capacity for hope. I think it has increased our ability to trust. I think it has opened up our hearts to be more grateful. I hope so.

Rodney and I often find it difficult to find the balance between "doing the stuff"and trusting. Sometimes it comes down to receiving the wisdom to do the "right stuff at the right time" and sometimes it is simply receiving a gift we could never have orchestrated ourselves. Those gifts "out of the blue" remind us of the vastness of God, so that we don't over-inflate (or over-work) our limited selves.

What are you waiting for? Have you been feeling desperate? Have you nearly given up hope? Do you wonder if you are foolish to believe it will happen? Are you afraid of disappointment?

The one who created us waits for us to turn to him. He knows our hearts. He knows what we need. He is fully capable of meeting those needs. Our part is to wait...in expectation (and with a bit more "stillness" than my children!)

Well, I think I got to where I needed to go. I hope the path was scenic enough.

Don't you love Carolin Vesely's writing?!! "...the North End business was created to be a photographic Eden of solely feminine energy" She's got punch!

For those of you just hearing about us for the first time, welcome! We are so happy to be spreading the news of what we do at Eve Studios and we're glad you've come to learn more. As you've read, Eve Studios was created by my husband and I in order to capture women's beauty and build their self-esteem. It has been so fun to do a business with such a narrow focus...just to be known for one thing (and be really good at it...I can say that without bragging because it's my husband who is responsible for what our clients experience). We've always loved being creative and taking risks and being a bit "on the edge". Well, I guess it rubbed off on me...I started our marriage almost thirteen years ago on the more conservative side. But although Rodney has been the visionary, I have been the one to encourage him to make the leap from paramedic to photographer, and from employee back to entrepreneur. Maybe it rubbed off too much!

Rodney has always loved photography, but never really started taking it seriously until he began to burn out from youth ministry. I told him he needed a hobby. And he taught himself the guitar and started studying photography. But it was photography that became his passion...the kind of thing you just can't get away from. And he has pursued it ever since.

I have a musical background and did a bit of computer business training after we were married (university just wasn't doing it for me). Worked a couple of years and then became a full-time mom. I love doing that. I could be happy doing just that. But it turns out that I came up with this business idea and over the past year we've been in business, I've undergone such a transformation myself, that one of my friends told me I've been "Eve'd". It started with a few cold calls for prizes for our Grand Opening, moved to press releases, brochure design, and then networking and becoming a part of a breakfast business group of amazing women...and soon becoming a major spokesperson for what we do. It's amazing how I've grown in confidence and competence over the year, as I've been part of our business.

It's been almost a month since our birthday bash! In that time, we've really been sensing a building of momentum that I've been dubbing the "snowball" effect. All of our marketing has really started coming together and it's exciting to see.

A couple of businesses have really helped us out. One of them is Sustainable Fitness. Allan Zimmer, the founder of these outstanding boot camps, has brought his vision and connections to us in a very generous manner. Thanks for giving us a presence on your website, Allan. We really appreciate all you've done for us. If anyone is looking towards getting more fit and just needs a boost...I encourage you to look into one of the many boot camps Sustainable Fitness offers. They have a wide variety of locations and times throughout the year, with some really high-quality trainers. We enjoyed a barbecue with the Sustainable crew this summer...great people (and great food). Boot camps offer variety, social interaction and accountability--all things we need when we're trying to change something in our lives!

Another business-owner who is a big cheerleader for Eve Studios is Jessica LoRusso. She recently opened Zealous MediSpa on Provencher and is also co-owner of Success Sistas, an organization that helps women strategize for the next five years of their lives, whether in business or personal areas of their lives. Jessica is a talented and passionate woman, and we thank her for being passionate about "Eve".

Keep your eyes and ears open...we think you'll be hearing about Eve Studios a lot in the near future.

I have the tremendous privilege of building relationships with other business women. Today I want to talk about two of them: Kristina Poturica from Rituals in Hair and Skin, and Michelle Lalonde from Tiber River Naturals. Both of them have amazing vision for their businesses, incredible dedication to service, and a passion for what they do. They are way farther down the road than I am, in business for over 5 years (I think) and managing a fairly large staff. I respect each of them a great deal.

What to say? First, I would suggest you check out their websites. You will learn a great deal about what they offer and how they go about it. Both of them love to give back to their communities. Both of of them pursue excellence. Kristina won 2008 Woman Entrepreneur of the Year for Emerging Business. Michelle and her business partner Adriana have been runner-up and are going to win an award soon, I'm sure. Rituals does hair and esthetics, accompanied by relaxation treatments and are located on Pembina Highway. Tiber River offers a whole line of natural products, made in Winnipeg, for the whole family, as well as esthetics. I have gotten to know many of the staff there and appreciate their personable service.

Thanks, Kristina and Michelle for your generous donation of gift baskets full of goodies for our birthday bash this past month. We're proud to know you both.

Friday

Hi all, every once and a while I have an experience that is truly special and this week I had one of them. I had a wonderful session this last week with a very vibrant woman named Brenda, when she came to see her photos she came bearing gifts, 4 Cuban cigars to be exact.

For those of you who know me well you will know that the opportunity to spend an hour with my friends from Cuba is an opportunity i have a hard time passing up, so when i heard that we only had one day of nice weather left I simply had to make some time in the evening to spend with one of my friends, well actually two. Brenda said I should make sure I spent the time with a friend and i agree whole heartedly. As I see it one of my friends went up in smoke that night and the other is my favorite, I spent the time on a long walk talking to God; it was an awesome time of grounding where i had the chance to count my blessings instead of simply presenting a wish list to him as I'm prone to do. I find that the more time I spend being thankful for the things that I have been blessed with the less time I spend envying the things of others, so this was a wonderful time for me.

I know we all have something that we enjoy that brings positive feelings and emotions to us, my challenge for you today is to find something that brings you to a place of being grateful and spend some time there, It is a place I hope to spend much more time this year.

Wednesday

There is a new TV series out there called "True Beauty"; it's a reality show that has 12 contestants and they are competing to be the most beautiful in America. The only catch is that the judges are actually judging them on both inner and outer beauty. In order to best measure the inner beauty there are actors hired to do things that allow the person to react positively or negatively; it's very interesting.

Well, as you may know last night we celebrated our 1 year birthday party here at EveStudios and we had a great number of clients brave the cold to join us for our celebration. As i looked around during the evening I was overcome by the amazing people we have had the opportunity to get to know, you are all truly beautiful!! As we started the evening last night we were a little behind schedule, I was totally amazed at how our clients jumped in to help finish a few preparations.

I want to take a moment to acknowledge a few superhero people in our lives last night.Erin Winter - Erin has been a long time friend and she spent half the evening serving without being asked, we love you Erin.Sheen Grobb - Sheena was our musician for the evening and she and her man disappeared for 15 mins to prep food for us, wow, you two are amazing!Rhonda Rempel - Our friend and client who volunteered to come and spend some time as a greeter and welcomer (is that really a word??), thanks Rhonda.I know there were many others, thank you all, we love you.

So back to the beginning, what is true beauty, I would hazard a guess that ABC could come and spend some time in our studio and find the winners to their contest, thank you all so much for being a part of our lives.

Tuesday

Well, firstly i want to thank all of you who braved the freezing cold to join us here at our 1 year birthday bash, because of you this was a great night. secondly to all of you who did make it out to the swaree(Spelling??), isn't Sheena Grobb one of the best things that's happened to music in a while, Wow!!!Lastly but not leastly I wish I had had more time to spend with you at our celebration, it's you our clients who make us successful and it's your referrals that keep us in business and we thank you; you really mean more than you will know to us.

I must go home and get some sleep but before i do, Thank you all once again, We love you.

Saturday

It's been a bit of a journey, but we have a wonderful local singer/song-writer coming to our birthday celebration, Sheena Grobb. We are excited to offer you a free mini-concert as part of our evening. Looking forward to it!

Thursday

We're excited and nervous all at the same time as the big day approaches. We're looking forward to seeing our clients again (and me meeting most of them for the first time), glad to be connecting with other businesses who have supported us throughout our existence, and happy to meet some new faces and introduce Eve Studios to them.

It has been a challenge pulling everything together this week as our family has battled a couple of illnesses since Christmas. Those of you with small children know exactly what we're talking about! We know it will all turn out in the end, but there have definitely been some despairing moments as we get closer to the day.

An update on the time on Tuesday: I compromised and picked 5:30 to 8:30! It will be held at our studio: 354 Selkirk Ave. at Aikins (between Main and Salter). The entrance is the red door at the side.

Come and enjoy some good food and drink, conversation, slide shows, and give-aways. We will be raffling a few items off so that you can choose what you're interested in trying to win. You'll each receive some complimentary tickets to use (plus extra if you bring someone). If you want to purchase more, they will be available and the proceeds will go to a charity we're still deciding on. If you're thinking of doing a session this year sometime and you want to save some money, we hope to have our "Fig Bucks" available and on sale for 69 cents for Tuesday night only. One of our clients, Sam Manchulenko from the "LifeStyle Pass" will be telling us how we can enhance our life in 2009 and pocket some great savings for an investment of only $40. But please don't think you have to bring cash to this event. It's really all about thanking you for your part in our business this past year and giving back to you.

Saturday

Well Happy New Year everybody, I hope that you had a wonderful and fulfilling Christmas time as I for one tried my best to stay fully filled all through the Christmas break and now find myself about 5 pounds the happier because of it. Often the new year is a time that many people make resolutions and promise to quit smoking again or go back onto that diet for 2 days or other such silly things. In recent years I have elected instead to write out a few goals for the new year and this last year I actually kept the list to see how I was doing. In mid September while cleaning my office I found this list and looked over the 11 items I had written down and much to my surprise I was on track for 8 or so of them, with 1 or 2 being things that really had no concrete indicators but were rather subjective.

My biggest goal was to get healthier in Body, Mind and Spirit. I'm not really sure how you qualify success on this but due in part to the vehicle accident that I was in in August I have been forced to work out on a regular basis or I'm in a lot of pain; so I'm stronger than ever. This was also a very busy and hard year for me and that has actually helped me to grow into a stronger person, isn't it amazing how we end up growing through the hard times in our lives. The very first house Sonya and I ever bought was in the town of Asquith Saskatchewan, there was a man named Mr. Pickett who was well known in the town as the "ultimate gardener" or at least the best potato grower around. Well he had a stroke and we ended up buying his property in August of that year. So What does this have to do with anything, Wellllll Mr Pickets had a secret to his farming it was well rot manure!!! It doesn't take long for anything including weeds to grow in this stuff and to our misfortune he had brought in 2 truckloads of it the year before his stroke; the only down side was that no one had done anything in the garden all year and the weeds were well over waist height. Back to the question what does this have to do with anything, well I've learned in the past that the way to grow things well is to get "roots in the poop!" or said another way we grow the most through difficult circumstances so shitty times in life are actually God's way of building character in our lives.

On to this next year, My hope is that you and your family are blessed with a great year, and that if you run into difficult times that you will grow through them and come out the other end unscathed. Blessings to you and a happy new year.

Thursday

First of all, Happy New Year to everyone! It's great to be back in Winnipeg after time away with our families in Saskatchewan. I must say I love my bed! Secondly, I'm feeling a little bit sheepish today. Usually the super-proofreader in the family, I realized a big oops today as I received a copy of the invitation I sent out for our one-year birthday bash! In my first draft I sent Rodney, I wasn't sure whether we should go with 6-9 or 5-8 and so I put the latter in brackets. Turns out we never did decide and I forgot to take out the alternate time. Sorry for the confusion!

Maybe a few of you who are coming here for clarification can give us their feedback. Would you rather it was earlier or later?? Love to hear your comments. We WILL decide and let you know after the week-end!!!

And if you can RSVP by the 6th (I know that's not a lot of time) and for sure by the 9th by emailing sonya@evestudios.ca that would be great! You can also contact Rodney at the studio if you're more comfortable with that by calling 221-8413 and leaving a message with your name and number and whether you can come and if you're planning to bring someone, or more simply email studio@evestudios.ca.

We will fill you in more next week...I just thought I'd better put something up here as I know you're receiving your mail invitations (by the way, electronic invitations will be going out shortly and if you haven't received anything yet, it's still coming or we have incorrect or incomplete mailing information for you).